INSPIRE ROOF SLATE - NO FAKE!
Sledge Hammer Test of an Inspiring Slate
Inspire Slates in Charcoal Grey Colouring
Imagine a roofing product that is light, indestructible and quick to fix that is indistinguishable at street level to the world’s most revered roof – Welsh slate? Manufactured in the US, “Inspire” slate roofs are modern architectural marvels that ticked all the boxes for the Australian Building Code and are half the cost of Welsh slate, can be fixed in under half the time. If you tried to smash an Inspire slate with a sledge hammer, you would fail miserably! So hail has absolutely no chance!
They are popular because lead footed plumbers or painters can walk across an Inspire roof without any risk of breaking the slates.
Cost Effective Alternative to Welsh Slate?
Inspire slate on the roof of a recently renovated home in Burwood Heights, Sydney
Inspire slates will never replace the much loved and greatly admired Welsh slate but they do offer a very cost effective way of creating a house with grandeur.
Inspire slates are gaining acceptance in heritage areas where the roofs on churches, terrace houses and other iconic buildings are failing but the owners are unable to afford the cost of new Welsh slate roof.
Inspire roofing slates offer an affordable option with a look that is indistinguishable from the real thing.
Light But Strong
Each Inspire slate weighs just under 700gms. On a roof aone metre area weighs just 12.35kg at 18 slates per covered metre. This is around a third of the weight of Welsh slate. This means the roof structure on a new home is supporting a far lighter roof so lighter materials may be used resulting in a significant cost saving.
The slates are packed in bundles of 25 held together by plastic strapping. Each bundle weighs around 17kgs and can be picked up by the plastic strapping. It is quite easy to handle a bundle in each hand and still climb a ladder or scaffolding stairs on to a roof.
Cutting and Fixing
The polyethylene slates can be cut with a Stanly knife or angle grinder. They should be fixed with copper or stainless nails and may be fixed using nail guns.